Smokeless tobacco is tobacco that is placed in the mouth and not combusted. There are various types of smokeless tobacco including chewing tobacco, moist smokeless tobacco, snus, and dry snuff.
Chewing tobacco is coarsely divided tobacco leaf that is typically packaged in a large pouch-like package and used in a plug or twist. Moist smokeless tobacco is a moist, more finely divided tobacco that is provided in loose form or in pouch form and is typically packaged in round cans and used as a pinch or in a pouch placed between an adult tobacco consumer's cheek and gum. Snus comprises ground tobacco material that is typically unfermented and incorporated within sealed pouches, whereas dry snuff is finely ground tobacco that is placed in the mouth or used nasally.
See, for example, the types of smokeless tobacco formulations, ingredients, and processing methodologies set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,376,586 to Schwartz; 3,696,917 to Levi; 4,513,756 to Pittman et al.; 4,528,993 to Sensabaugh, Jr. et al.; 4,624,269 to Story et al.; 4,991,599 to Tibbetts; 4,987,907 to Townsend; 5,092,352 to Sprinkle, III et al.; 5,387,416 to White et al.; 6,668,839 to Williams; 6,834,654 to Williams; 6,953,040 to Atchley et al.; 7,032,601 to Atchley et al.; 7,694,686 to Atchley et al.; 7,810,507 to Dube et al.; 7,819,124 to Strickland et al.; 7,861,728 to Holton, Jr. et al.; and 7,946,296 to Wrenn et al.; US Pat. Pub. Nos. 2004/0020503 to Williams; 2005/0115580 to Quinter et al.; 2005/0244521 to Strickland et al.; 2006/0191548 to Strickland et al.; 2007/0062549 to Holton, Jr. et al.; 2007/0261707 to Winterson et al.; 2008/0029110 to Dube et al.; 2008/0029116 to Robinson et al.; 2008/0029117 to Mua et al.; 2008/0173317 to Robinson et al.; 2008/0196730 to Engstrom et al.; 2008/0209586 to Neilsen et al.; 2008/0305216 to Crawford et al.; 2009/0065013 to Essen et al.; 2009/0293889 to Kumar et al.; 2010/0170522 to Sun et al.; 2010/0291245 to Gao et al.; 2010/0300463 to Chen et al.; 2010/0300464 to Gee et al.; 2010/0303969 to Sengupta et al.; 2011/0061666 to Dube et al.; 2011/0139164 to Mua et al.; 2011/0247640 to Beeson et al.; 2011/0315154 to Mua et al.; 2012/0031414 and 2012/0031416 to Atchley et al.; 2012/0055493 to Novak et al.; 2012/0055494 to Hunt et al.; 2012/0118310 to Cantrell et al.; PCT Pub. Nos. WO 04/095959 to Arnarp et al.; and WO 10/132,444 to Atchley; each of which is incorporated herein by reference. In some examples, pouches or sachets are inserted into the mouth of the user during use, and water soluble components contained within those pouches or sachets are released as a result of interaction with saliva.
Representative smokeless tobacco products that have been marketed include those referred to as CAMEL Snus, CAMEL Orbs, CAMEL Strips and CAMEL Sticks by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; GRIZZLY moist tobacco, KODIAK moist tobacco, LEVI GARRETT loose tobacco and TAYLOR'S PRIDE loose tobacco by American Snuff Company, LLC; KAYAK moist snuff and CHATTANOOGA CHEW chewing tobacco by Swisher International, Inc.; REDMAN chewing tobacco by Pinkerton Tobacco Co. LP; COPENHAGEN moist tobacco, COPENHAGEN Pouches, SKOAL Bandits, SKOAL Pouches, RED SEAL long cut and REVEL Mint Tobacco Packs by U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company; and MARLBORO Snus and Taboka by Philip Morris USA.
An alternative to smokeless tobacco products in pouch form has been the development of smokeless tobacco formulations comprising polymeric materials. See, for example, US Pat. Pub. Nos. 2012/00831414 to Atchley et al.; 2012/0031416 to Atchley et al.; and 2014/0083438 to Sebastian et al.; each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
It would be desirable to provide an improved process of making composite smokeless tobacco products as well as to improve the means for delivering such composite smokeless tobacco products to provide desirable features, such as ease of dispensing, use, and an overall enjoyable form.